The Vokey Design SM9 wedge lineup from Titleist parent Acushnet Co.,. will be adding even more shot making options when the low-bounce T Grind becomes available on March 10.
One of the more popular grinds on the PGA Tour and previously available only as a WedgeWorks custom order, the T Grind (MAP $179 steel, $195 graphite) will now be widely available in stock and custom options as an extension to the existing SM9 family. Offered in SM9 58.04T and 60.04T models, the T becomes the seventh grind in the SM9 matrix.
Vokey Design has been the most played wedge on the PGA TOUR every year since 2004.
Engineered by Master Craftsman Bob Vokey, the Acushnet Co., says T Grind is built for players seeking to “unlock ultimate creativity and versatility’’ around the greens. As a low-bounce wedge with a narrow crescent surface and wider back flange, the company says the grind allows for shot making under any condition.
The company says players with shallow and precise deliveries, as well as those playing off firm conditions, will benefit from the T Grind’s sole design. Compared to the L Grind, SM9’s other low bounce option, the T Grind features a narrower forward sole and more aggressive heel, toe and trailing edge relief.
“Wedge play is an art, and the T Grind brings out the best in the artist,” Vokey says. “The leading edge stays low to the playing surface as the wedge is rotated, which allows the golfer to hit a variety of shots from tight lies. This is the wedge that really made Vokey Grinds an important part of our process – and is still a great option to this day.”
The Vokey T Grind has continued to grow in popularity across the worldwide professional tours and is the lob wedge of choice for many of the game’s best players, including Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Cameron Smith, Will Zalatoris and Cameron Young. Nine different events during the 2021-2022 PGA Tour season were won by players with a T Grind lob wedge in the bag, including Smith’s victory at the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews. That week at the Old Course, the T Grind was so popular that Vokey Tour Rep Aaron Dill ran out of heads on the Titleist Tour Van.
“The ‘T’ is a very versatile sole,” Dill said. “It is low bounce and it frees the golfer up to get under the ball easily when the turf feels firm, or where they are short-sided. The last thing you want in those situations is a grind that you don’t feel can help you pull off those shots. That is when the T Grind frees you up to hit those more difficult shots that require that loft.”
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Photo Courtesy of the Acushnet Company